Zach Theatre's 2018-19 season includes megawatt musicals and plays

As they say in Texas, it's fixin' to be a good season at the Zach. On April 3, Austin's professional theater released its anticipated 2018-19 lineup, and it's chock full of can't-miss musicals, powerful plays, and beloved seasonal classics.

“Big musicals with spectacle, intimate dramas that provoke meaningful conversation, shows which draw upon Austin's long heritage as a musician-fueled city, and new work created specifically for our city are all hallmarks of our exciting next journey together," teases ZACH producing artistic director Dave Steakley in a release.

Kicking off the season is an Academy Award-winning film turned Tony Award-winning show. Once, which won the 2012 Tony for Best Musical, examines the complicated love affair between an Irish man and a Czech woman who are brought together by their love of music. The show runs September 19 to October 28 in the Topfer.

Following the 2018 holiday season, which will see the return of beloved classics A Christmas Carol (November 21-December 30) and David Sedaris' irreverent and hysterical The Santaland Diaries (December 5-30), the Zach will debut Notes from the Field. Written by Tony and Pulitzer prize nominee Anna Deavere Smith, Notes from the Field tells the true stories of more than 200 Americans caught in the "school-to-prison" pipeline. The powerful play runs February 27 to March 31, 2019.

Other highlights from Zach's 2018-19 season include the Roald Dahl children's classic/Broadway musical Matilda, which comes to life April 3 through May 12, 2019, and The Ballad of Klook and Vinette, making its Texas premiere April 24 through May 26, 2019. A contemporary love story, The Ballad of Klook and Vinette is billed as a seductive musical guaranteed to get under your skin. (Though it's worth noting that the show's run is still pending approval.)

Former Texan turned four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally returns to Austin to continue developing his newest play, Fire and Air. After premiering the work in New York City, McNally will spend summer 2019 workshopping the production at the Zach. Fire and Air will run from June 12 to July 14, 2019.

And closing out the celebrated season is a show guaranteed to end up on many can't-miss lists. After its off-Broadway debut in 1998, Hedwig and the Angry Inch became a cult classic film before returning to Broadway proper in 2014. The anticipated Austin run is slated for July 31 through September 8, 2019.